Moe Posted January 2, 2007 #1 Share Posted January 2, 2007 What is enlightenment and how do you reach it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondoggy Posted January 2, 2007 #2 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Drink massive amounts of herbal tea and rent the original "Kung-Fu" series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caana Posted January 2, 2007 #3 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Recreational supplies and a marathon of your favorite show. I try to ignore the most blatent enlightment. To old for it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondoggy Posted January 2, 2007 #4 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I had to respond to this with humor because it made me think of a Cheech and chong skit where one of them is climbing a high mountain to seek the guru and when he gets there, the guru passes him a doobie. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brave_new_world Posted January 2, 2007 #5 Share Posted January 2, 2007 What is enlightenment and how do you reach it? you get there via selflessness. And both silence and speech are not adequate to explain enlightenment.(my opinon) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Walker Posted January 2, 2007 #6 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Do not concern yourself with the mountain we call enlightenment, Grasshopper, for its summit is unattainable. Instead, concentrate on the pathway to the summit, for it is on this journey that the important lessons of life will be learned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Greenman Posted January 2, 2007 #7 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Buddhism lays out a good path to obtain enlightenment. Meditation under a friendly tree can give you a start. Caution you will end up with a view of the world very different from the money hungry, material society and it becomes difficult to function within that realm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Lowell Posted January 2, 2007 #8 Share Posted January 2, 2007 There are degrees of enlightenment and awareness. Start from where you are and expand your thoughts and feelings. When you wish to discover who you really are and what you want to do with your life you have reached a point of enlightenment or awareness. By the way you asked this question I suspect you have that wish to know those answers. I would suggest you continue to use the method that got you to where you are at the moment. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermenutic Posted January 2, 2007 #9 Share Posted January 2, 2007 (edited) Enlightenment for me was realizing that everything I had been taught before concerning God was essentially untrue and unbelievable. What followed was revelation. Revelation is what you need. What I have found is, that in regards to ultimate things, that the universe is a friendly place. There is no individual 'Being' reading your thoughts and condemning you for having them. Ultimately in enlightenment there are no worries. The second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita explains this very well. http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/2/en Also this link is helpful http://www.mountainman.com.au/taotrans.html There is a 'truth' it is yours personally and to someone else it may seem as foolishness. Keep yours and hope that your friend finds his. Edited January 2, 2007 by Hermenutic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sherapy Posted January 3, 2007 #10 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Enlightenement is a process, you don't get there , you realize you are there.....simply the intention to be enlightenment is enough the process will happen.. You will also know it after the intial awakening the dark night of the soul happens, just a methaphriacal phrase for a deep cleansing and this can take years, depending on how conditioned you are what you have lived so far.......(for me 12 years, but it can happen in a instant also.)...... then it moves on to iintegration in oneness, i would say its really about letting go , being okay with everything and all others, dropping beleifs that are cherished to make room for the true self which is nothing as the dogmas that are taught..Its about understnading the mind is a tool and that all things becoem joy at their highest expresssion including pain and trauma etc...... i agree with John, it seems to be in stages or levels , it just happens, I to think buddhism is the most comprehensive way to understand this if it is what interests you...but it can be without it too...Remember enlightenment is a state of being, not something you do......Its what you are already...many get this confused.... meditation is designed to cultivate room for the true self a practice to become self aware.IMO .....silence is the oneness tht we all are aand the more you cultivate it meaning notice it the more you become concious and aware......every enlightemment is unique...each bringing through some aspect of the whole.....j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atheist God Posted January 3, 2007 #11 Share Posted January 3, 2007 (edited) What is enlightenment and how do you reach it? Edit- Is there another way of making this even more simple? No discussions on drug taking, using or promoting drugs. I have no need to explain why I edited this post. Edited January 3, 2007 by Lottie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rev r Posted January 3, 2007 #12 Share Posted January 3, 2007 When I'm looking for enlightenment, I usually just turn the switch. Provided I remembered to pay last month's bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremiahGateFan Posted January 3, 2007 #13 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I don't believe that anyone on earth has ever attained enlightenment, but its also not unattainable. The important thing is that truth is what is most important to you. The Chinese came up with the idea that you should be able to meditate, in motion, well, it is good to try and go a step farther and reach an heightened state of awareness while in day to day life. If nothing else, it will cause you to consider your daily decisions more and better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spurious George Posted January 3, 2007 #14 Share Posted January 3, 2007 (edited) Edit- Is there another way of making this even more simple? No discussions on drug taking, using or promoting drugs. I have no need to explain why I edited this post. You know I dont know exactly what was said before it was editted but I can say that I was tempted to make a reply in this thread that brought up drugs as well, I didnt because I expected it to be deleted. My problem with that is that drugs are part of my "religious" beliefs, they have been for over a decade but if I post my thoughts on these "religious" practices of mine they will be deleted, is that religious discrimination? Am I being discriminated against? Am I not allowed to discuss these shamanic practices here at UM? While no one is condeming your choice of religious practice, its the suitability of discussing the practice itself in detail on a family type forum that is the problem. There are a plethora of topics that aren't appropriate for this froum, from the posting of crude and offensive 'rap' or 'rock' lyrics to frank and explicit discussions regarding sex and/or violent acts. It isn't descrimination, more a desire to maintain a pleasant and 'safe' environment for people of all ages. Edited January 3, 2007 by Magikman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sherapy Posted January 3, 2007 #15 Share Posted January 3, 2007 (edited) carlos castenedos is considered a spiritualist and he did peyote and it was not unheard of in the indian culture for the elders to smoke stuff for enlightenment, Ele, i do not discount things just because, i myself am drug free by personal choice but I have to tell you many that I have known who have done have done LSD report experinces that are very similar to ones I have experinced and I would call them enlightened they are just freer and I have my best converstations with my friend who has been a pot smoker for 65 years all day every day...., No one is advocating drug use i'm not, i have chosen a different way but i will not invalidate anothers experince because they chose another way....Its not nessecary but we each do what we feel is best for us...... Edited January 3, 2007 by Magikman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spurious George Posted January 3, 2007 #16 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Thanks Sheri. Many people may have noticed over the last few years that scientific research has shown there is more to entheogens than previously thought, emotional and psychological benefits as well as a feeling of "enlightenment" expressed by the test subjects. But I dont need to hear it from them to believe it I have experienced it myself, but I'm happy to hear that this kind of research is being done. On a side note, I'm sure a lot of people would say or think, ok maybe they work but you dont need them, which is true, but to any that think that it is some kind of "easy road", or something akin to "cheating", or not the "real" route to take I refer them to the tens of thousands of year old shamanic history of mankind, shamans prefer them. Not to mention talking about rollercoaster gnomes, self-transforming machine elves, talking trees, being turned into a tree, telepathic entities and enormous intelligent serpents(oh yes the great serpent is there to greet you after eating the forbidden fruit lol) makes for some interesting discussion lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sherapy Posted January 3, 2007 #17 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Thanks Sheri. Many people may have noticed over the last few years that scientific research has shown there is more to entheogens than previously thought, emotional and psychological benefits as well as a feeling of "enlightenment" expressed by the test subjects. But I dont need to hear it from them to believe it I have experienced it myself, but I'm happy to hear that this kind of research is being done. On a side note, I'm sure a lot of people would say or think, ok maybe they work but you dont need them, which is true, but to any that think that it is some kind of "easy road", or something akin to "cheating", or not the "real" route to take I refer them to the tens of thousands of year old shamanic history of mankind, shamans prefer them. Not to mention talking about rollercoaster gnomes, self-transforming machine elves, talking trees, being turned into a tree, telepathic entities and enormous intelligent serpents(oh yes the great serpent is there to greet you after eating the forbidden fruit lol) makes for some interesting discussion lol. thats with no drugs the last paragraph oy vey...there are some circles that would call this insane believing in things not real...... i don't think you are honestly referring to your average alcoholic or drug abuser, and i am specifically talking on LSD which there was a time they doctors of the time studied the effects, as cocaine was legal for quite some time for its benefits.....granted there are things one should stay away from etc... maybe all of it but in controlled situations with the intent for enlightenment whos to say.... Like i said i have a freind who I have spent hours with just discussing things and part of his LSD years and he is very candid and honest, it brings in another POV.. at the place I trip out i can't nor would stand in judgment of others its not he path its how one uses it thats important anyways, many drug abusers have become great voices because of the undestanding of the drug by personal experince.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyperactive Posted January 3, 2007 #18 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Buddhism lays out a good path to obtain enlightenment. Meditation under a friendly tree can give you a start. Caution you will end up with a view of the world very different from the money hungry, material society and it becomes difficult to function within that realm. I concur. Especially with your warning. I am sure most can recall a scenario where they woke from a bad dream only to discover they were still in a dream. This is much the tale of enlightenment. Few people ever are awake. Some tend to think they awoke from a dream, but are just in another dream. How deep the nest goes is uncertian. Most importantly, most prefer their dream-states, for it grants them control not found in an awake state, and controls them in their pseudo-existance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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